The History of Lady Akitsu
by CherryBlackthourne
Summary: The title says all. This takes place from when my character was very small. Perhaps you might see a side of her you never saw in the other stories...
1. Childhood Memories

Lady Akitsu 'Ello all! waves Well, I've decided to do a history fic for my character in HirakotsuSlinger's fics. It might take a bit, but I am working on it, little by little. Also, I'm going to work on my other fic again. So, yeah. Have fun. Please review and tell me what you think so far, and ideas would be appreciated too, although I mostly know what I'm going to do. _Arigatou_!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha, or any of its characters. Only Rumiko Takahashi-sama has that privilege.

* * *

Kikyou was a great priestess, archer, and healer, who lived a tragic life that many did not know about until now. Her beloved, a half demon named Inu Yasha, wished to obtain the Shikon No Tama, or Jewel of Four Souls, so that he could finally be rid of his cursed human heritage and become a full blooded demon. Unfortunately, the sacred jewel that he so desperately and ardently desired was in the possession and protection of Kikyou. One fateful day, the priestess was attacked and killed by the demon Naraku in the guise of Inu Yasha. Naraku disappeared, not to be seen for years afterwards, or so it's thought. And so, the tragedy begins…

**40 Years Ago…**

"Mother, look at me!"

"No Mother, look at me!"

The young voices echoed throughout the empty courtyard along with the wooden clacking of kendo sticks and the shuffling from straw sandals.

"Yes, I see you, my dears. Pay attention to the task at hand," lazily answered a lovely woman of stately and yet unnatural beauty who was seated under the shade of a lone tree, her kimono, made of the finest silk of course, flowing gracefully along her reclined figure. She smiled as she watched her small girls train so diligently under the hot summer sun. Her ears, which were placed on the top of her head and curiously looked like those of a Siberian tiger, flicked slightly as the clatter grew louder. A short scream suddenly rang out, and silence quickly covered the area.

Startled, the woman quickly rose and raced towards her fallen child. As she neared, she sighed in relief as the young girl started to reach for her bamboo kendo stick and used it to help herself get back onto her feet.

"That wasn't fair, Aiko!" pouted the young girl, a small red bruise livid against her pale cheek. The girl known as Aiko smirked and gently poked her younger sister.

"Well then, you shoulda been paying more attention, like Mother said."

"You didn't hafta hit me in the face, though!"

"It's not my fault you didn't react in time!"

"Girls, that's quite enough."

The two children hung their heads and apologized simultaneously.

"_Gomen nasai, _Mother_._"

The woman smiled amusedly as she knelt down and embraced her children, holding them close to her. Glancing at the injured girl, she placed a delicate hand on the child's cheek, caressing it gently with her thumb.

"Now then, are you quite alright, Ami?" The girl nodded.

"Of course, Mother. I'm tough like Daddy, remember?"

The woman flinched as a sad smiled played across her lips at the mention of her absent husband. The older child noticed the slight change of emotion and looked up at her mother with concern.

"Mother? Where is Daddy, and when's he coming back?"

A crystalline tear dropped from the woman's cheek, and she looked at her children with sadness and regret in her emerald-hued cat-like eyes. She slowly shook her head.

"I'm so sorry, my darlings. He died in battle a few months ago. He's never coming back."


	2. A Shock To The System

-CherryBlackthourne- Hi again, all! Anyways, as you can see, I've changed my pen name. The reason? So that it doesn't look so terribly obvious… And I don't really want to be accused of writing a Mary Sue fic. -nervous laugh- Moving right along… To be honest, I haven't been working on my other fic, but that's either because I'm lazy (Yes, I'll admit it), or because life just gets in the way… or maybe a mixture of the two, ne? -giggles- On with the show!!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha or any of its characters. Only Rumiko Takahashi-sama has that privilege.**

* * *

Aiko and Ami looked up at their distraught mother in disbelief. Could it feasible, or even probable that their father could be dead? The sisters glanced at each other worriedly, their kendo practices forgotten.

"Mother…?" started Aiko in a shaky voice, "Is this… is this true? Is Father really…?" She trailed off, not daring to complete the question, lest it be true. To her horror, the woman slowly nodded, a faint, heartbreaking smile showing through her tears.

Ami finally couldn't take it anymore. She dashed from the scene, choking back a sob, and ran headfirst into the wooden Japanese-styled palace, blinded by the tears flooding her eyesight. A loud clattering sounded, notifying that she had slammed the sliding paper-paneled door shut behind her in her despair.

"Ami, stop! Come back!" Aiko started to run after her younger sister when she felt herself held back by her mother's soft but stern grip. Aiko turned and looked up at the stately noblewoman.

"But, mother…!" Aiko stopped as her mother shook her head. The woman knelt back down to face her eldest child.

"You must let her grieve, my dearest Ai-chan. Keep in mind how extremely close she was to him. Remember, they were nearly inseparable." The widowed noblewoman put a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder and smiled assuringly. Aiko nodded and cast her eyes downwards, unable to look her mother in the eye.

"I understand, Mother."

* * *

Inside her simplistic room, Ami climbed onto her futon, tears spilling down her face and onto the rumpled sheets. She lay herself down onto her stomach and clutched onto her pillow, burying her face into its softness. Sobs shuddered through her small body. Surely it couldn't be true. It just couldn't be! How in the seven worlds could her father, the great Lord Akitsu, the fierce tiger _youkai_ who lead his army in battle and emerged victorious countless times… how could he be gone? How could it be?

Ami screwed her eyes shut to lessen the tears' flow, and yet the hot drops managed to leak through. In her mind, Ami flashed through her memories of her father. She replayed images of him instructing her how to properly hold a kendo stick, of him lifting her up onto his shoulders and spinning her about in the air, of him smiling down at her with his lopsided grin and ruffling her hair with one hand. Ami smiled weakly at the thought of her special nickname from him, "Ears-chan," brought about from when she was younger and always aware of her whereabouts, her small tiger ears twitching madly.

_Never again…_ The thought suddenly ran through her young mind. _I'll never see him again. He'll never smile like that at me again. He'll never call me Ears-chan again. We'll never spar again. No more __midnight__ feasts when the cook isn't looking. No more exploring in the forests nearby… Never again… Never again…_

"Stop it!" She cried out, her voice agonized. She clutched tighter to her pillow, her breathing turning ragged through clenched teeth. The thought heedlessly echoed and repeatedin her mind in a seemingly never-ending cycle.

_Never again…__ Never again… Never again…_

"No… No! Stop it…" came her whisper. "Daddy, how can you be gone…?" She slowly curled into a fetal position, still clinging tightly to her pillow, and closed her eyes, settling into an uneasy slumber, exhausted from her grief.

* * *

Aiko sat dejectedly on her futon, her knees drawn up to her chest and her hands clasped around them. Since her room was situated directly next to her younger sister's, she could hear everything that went on in there. Aiko winced, hearing her sister's sobs. She wished that she could help, but she knew that it was best to let her be. Not only was that because of her mother's warning earlier, but Aiko knew that Ami would only push her away. Ami had a way of wanting to deal with all her problems on her own. Aiko sighed and shook her head.

_Now that Mother has told us that Father is dead… Gods, this just changed everything. Nothing will ever be the same. And I know that Ami… Oh, poor sister of mine. I bet a part of her died when she heard that._

Aiko scooted off the mattress and walked over to her wood-grated window. With a sigh, she sat down cross-legged onto the cushion positioned in front of the window and rested her arms onto the thin inside sill, her chin cupped in her small hand.

_My Father was surely a good man, right? I mean, at least he died honorably. Ami, of all people, should be proud of him for that fact._

Aiko stared aimlessly at the setting sun through the branches of the Japanese maple planted outside. Suddenly, a cry came from the direction of Ami's room.

"Stop it!"

Aiko jumped. She quickly climbed to her feet and rushed clumsily to her door, slapping the already ajar wooden panel open. She ran over to Ami's door and slid open the door, her face riddled with worry and concern.

"Ami-chan... ?"

Aiko sighed in relief when she saw her younger sister curled up and asleep. She smiled and gently slid the door closed again, emitting a soft click. Aiko padded back to her room, carefully sliding the panel shut behind her.


	3. Lady Kumiko's Flashback

-CherryBlackthourne- Welcome, my dearest readers, to another installment of our story. Quite emotional so far, isn't it? If you like it, please don't be shy. Just review. No pressure, of course. But above all, please sit back, relax, and enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inu Yasha or any of its characters. That privilege belongs to Rumiko Takahashi-sama alone.**

* * *

Throughout the week, Lady Kumiko Akitsu could feel her already tattered heart breaking as she watched her children grieve for their deceased father, especially her youngest, Ami. The despondent child had started to avoid contact with her family and the servants, preferring to stay locked in her room. She ate very little, and as a result her face began to lose its childlike softness.

Lady Kumiko knew all too well what her daughters were going through, since she herself had dealt with the horrifying fact that her darling, her light, her husband… He was gone, never to return. Oh, how she mourned him that day, so long ago. She could still remember how it was reported to her by one of the maidservants.

* * *

It was a lovely May afternoon. Lady Kumiko was again seated beneath the shade of the tree in the courtyard, and her children were out amongst the grass, practicing their kendo lessons and laughing gaily. Suddenly, one of the maidservants rushed out of the castle towards the noblewoman, her countenance in obvious anguish. Lady Kumiko rose up in alarm, and laid her hands gently on the poor girl's shoulders in an ineffective attempt to calm her.

"My goodness, Nori! What is troubling you so?"

"Oh, it's terrible news, Your Ladyship," cried the fretful maiden as she wrung her hands in worry. "But I must reveal it to you in private."

Lady Kumiko blinked. What on earth could this news be if she must give up watch on her children in order to hear it? She stared at the maidservant suspiciously.

"Why must it be in private? Is it really so urgent a matter, Nori?"

Nori nodded anxiously, tugging at the cloth handkerchief tied around her head, which was now somewhat dusty from cleaning earlier that day.

"In all honesty, Your Ladyship." The girl leaned in a bit closer and whispered to her, "It's about your husband, milady."

Lady Kumiko's eyes went wide in fear. She gasped and put a pallid hand to her rapidly beating heart. _Oh gods… oh, please let this be about losing a battle and nothing more…_ She could feel her stomach twisting itself into a thousand knots, and a lump forming in her throat. She looked to the maidservant and gave the go-ahead.

"So be it. Quickly, in my chambers. And get one of the other girls to watch my daughters. Be sure not to alarm them. We must do this discreetly."

Nori bowed, her eyes cast downwards.

"Consider it done, milady."

With that, the two women hurried into the castle and began their way through the winding, polished wooden hallways towards the master chambers, with Lady Kumiko leading the way, her manner regal with her shoulders back and her hands in the voluminous sleeves of her multi-layered kimono.

As they neared the room, Lady Kumiko arched a finely shaped brow as she noticed that the double sliding doors were already open, with a servant girl at each one, ready to close them at a moment's notice. With a sigh, she briskly walked to the entranceway, stopping suddenly and turning to face the girls, her face stern.

"You two are to close these doors once Nori and I are inside, and then you are free to leave. We are not to be disturbed, is that clear?"

"_Hai, _Your Ladyship," came the simultaneous answer.

"Good. Come along, Nori. We have much to discuss, _ne_?" Not waiting for an answer, Lady Kumiko curtly turned and walked into the room, with Nori meekly following. The doors noiselessly slid shut behind them.

Once inside, Nori looked about at the master chambers in awe. She had never been even close to this wing of the massive castle, and now she was actually permitted to be in the Lady of the house's chambers! As her eyes wandered around the room, Nori noticed that it was the only area in the entire castle that was completely outfitted in Western-styled furnishings. She had never seen such rich finery before. All the furniture was constructed of beautiful dark polished mahogany, with ornate carving in the wood, and accents of gold gilding here and there. Beautiful heavy fabrics decorated the windows, and rich tapestries hung upon the walls, depicting battles of men and heralding angels. Deep burgundy, hunter green, cobalt blue, and plum dominated the color scheme of the room.

As Lady Kumiko sat down on a plush, straight-backed desk chair, she noticed how Nori was admiring the heavily ornamented room. A small, secretive smile appeared on her face. It was always amusing to her to see the reaction of her down-to-earth servants to the room that her husband decorated. She sighed and rested her arm on the desk she was sitting at, remembering how he had insisted that the master chambers should be completely Western.

_He always was quite fascinated with the Western world for some reason…_ she thought fondly. _I'll never be able to figure that man out. Speaking of which… Didn't Nori have news about him? Oh, I hope it's nothing too serious…_

"Nori," she called out, snapping the maidservant out of her reverie, "This information on my husband… "

"Oh!" The startled girl bowed low. "Of course, milady. But I must warn you, it is most tragic news indeed."

"Surely it cannot be as grim as you imply, Nori," replied Lady Kumiko with a hint of worry in her voice. She was all too conscious of the pulsing of her heart in her ears. The girl nodded.

"Unfortunately, milady, it is. You see… a few weeks ago, when Lord Akitsu lead his small army of men against Tokugawa, they had unfortunately encountered the enemy earlier than expected, and were unready for the attack. There was a great slaughtering of our men… including your husband. Our few survivors told us that he was trying to defend some of the wounded men… Lady Kumiko, your husband is dead."


	4. Lessons With A Twist

* * *

- CherryBlackthourne - Hello again, my faithful readers. Firstly, I want to thank all of those who reviewed for my story so far. It has really been wonderful hearing your opinions, good or bad, since I've used them as a way to improve and at least reduce the flaws in my writing style. Again, thank you. Secondly, to those who've put this story or perhaps even me on their favorites list or on Author Alert, I want to thank you as well. You have no idea how much this means to me. And lastly, to those who are wondering where the Inu Yasha part of this particular Inu Yasha fic is; worry not, that part will be coming up shortly. For now, I'm just trying to develop my characters without giving anything away. Also, I'd like to apologize for taking so long. Then again, it seems to be in my nature to do so by now, doesn't it?

And with that out of that out of the way… Enjoy the show!

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inu Yasha or any of its characters. That privilege belongs to Rumiko Takahashi-sama alone.**

* * *

Aiko sighed as she passed by her sister's door on her way to her calligraphy lessons. She had unsurprisingly handled the news of her father's death much better than Ami. After all, not only was she three years older than her younger sister, who was only in her eighth year of life, but Aiko wasn't nearly as attached to their father as Ami was.

_Mother was right… they **were** inseparable, weren't they?_ mused Aiko as she remembered all those times she'd seen Ami with him. _She really was Daddy's little girl. They were so close, and now to have him forever ripped away… Poor Ami-chan. No wonder she's so depressed. _

Aiko arrived at the door of the room her lessons were to be taught in. She noticed that the sliding panel was already slightly open, and her _sensei_, a brown-skinned old man by the name of Kiyoshi Atsumoto, was waiting inside. _I just wish I could help her… _she thought somberly as she slid the door open, bowed, and stepped into the room.

"_Ohayoo gozaimasu_, Atsumoto-_sensei_."

The old man looked up from his kneeling position in front of a giant paper screen with a beautiful scene of a sunset during autumn painted on it. With an indifferent frown, he nodded and stood up, albeit with effort.

"_Ohayoo gozaimasu, _Aiko-_hime._ I hope all is well with you this morning?"

For a moment, Aiko cast her eyes downwards before she spoke.

"I'm afraid not," she redirected her gaze back to him. "I suppose you haven't heard the news yet about my father, have you?" There was a sort of hopeless sadness to her voice, which was strange to Atsumoto since he knew Aiko was usually never one to disclose her emotions.

"Indeed, I have not. You know that I've never been one for castle gossip. But surely it cannot be as bad as you imply…" There was a tentative pause, and then, "Is it, Aiko-_hime_?"

Aiko nodded, her eyes trailing back down to her feet. Atsumoto quirked a furry brow at her apparent show of emotion. An awkward silence was shared between the teacher and student.

"He's dead, _sensei_," Aiko suddenly blurted out. Atsumoto blinked in surprise. The shocked expression on his face stayed there for a few flickering moments, then quickly settled back into his usual indifferent mode.

"So he's dead, is he?" murmured the old man as he turned back to gaze at the magnificently painted screen. He chuckled quietly. "I must admit, it's a wonder that he's lived as long as he had."

"_Sensei_, why would you say such a thing?" asked Aiko, staring at him dubiously. A corner of Atsumoto's thin mouth gave a small upward movement briefly. He glanced at Aiko, and saw the hints of her father in her stare.

"Well, Aiko-_hime_… I've known and taken care of your father for many a year. Ever since he was a small boy, really. He was always such a rambunctious young one, he was. Always getting into fights with his brother and such. He was also very peace-loving as well, though. Your father truly wanted to do the right thing, whatever it may be. He hated to see someone wronged. Luckily for him, he was of noble youkai blood, so therefore he was actually able to do the things he wanted."

Aiko sighed and cast her eyes downwards, appearing to be studying the _tatami_ mats beneath her. "I suppose. I've certainly always suspected that my father was like that in his youth as well."

Atsumoto nodded. "Indeed he was. So then," he said as he got to his feet with Aiko following, "Let's get started on your lessons for today."

* * *

Slowly, night settled once again into the background. The midnight blue sky shimmered slightly as the stars began to reveal themselves to the earth, and a champagne-colored full moon hung overhead in the distance.

Outside of the walls of the courtyard, a tall, stately figure waited. The leaves made a loud crackling under his foot as he shifted his weight. He adjusted his baboon mask, listening for just the right moment. At last he heard a sort of hush come over the castle grounds. He smirked evilly, slid the white baboon pelt from his shoulders, and removed the mask to expose a slightly feminine but wickedly handsome face. With that, Naraku began his transformation.

His curly black hair became longer and straight, and long bangs grew over his forehead. His eyes changed from a void, emotionless black to a soft, warm brown, and his outfit from a dark purple print kimono and black _hakama_ to the white _haori_ and red _hakama_ of a _miko_. His face became shorter and a bit more feminine and soft, and his body morphed from that of a man to that of a young woman.

Now in the guise of the dead priestess Kikyou, Naraku smirked and reached back to tie his hair with his now delicately slender fingers.

"And now it begins…"


End file.
